Sport | Cricket

Ponting 'insulted' by Sehwag's cheat jibes

Australia captain Ricky Ponting said he was insulted by claims from India batsman Virender Sehwag that Australia cheated during their 2-1 cricket series victory in January.

  • AP
  • Published: 00:32 October 9, 2008
  • Gulf News

Bangalore: Australia captain Ricky Ponting said he was insulted by claims from India batsman Virender Sehwag that Australia cheated during their 2-1 cricket series victory in January.

The opening match of the four-Test series between India and Australia begins in Bangalore today in what is an eagerly awaited rematch of India's often spiteful tour of Australia earlier this year.

Sehwag had said India suffered the most in a "catching pact" during his team's tour of Australia, whereby the opposing captains agreed to take the fielder's word on the legitimacy of close, low catches.

"There is no point in having such an arrangement when the Australians are claiming one-bounce catches," Sehwag told local broadcaster ESPN-STAR.

"We'd have won the Sydney test match if they hadn't claimed catches taken off half-volleys in that game."

Ponting said: "That's fairly insulting. In the first innings I didn't claim a catch because I wasn't 100 per cent sure.

"It's amazing how they've picked out a lot of negatives from that game and don't seem to be speaking about the Perth Test (which Australia lost), where we probably had the same things happen to us."

Ponting said the victory at Sydney was "one of the best moments I've had on a cricket field."

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